The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 556: Something on the Horizon

At the border between the Doria Empire and devil territory, the situation was already festive, with many forces from across the continent gathering. Anyone passing through the area would see many flags bearing different symbols scattered across the border, forming an unbreakable net that seemed to isolate the devil territory.

These forces, assembled in preparation for the invasion of devil territory, were still waiting for more troops to arrive, as many were still on their way. A large number of volunteers continued to head to the border, and more were expected, with many still in the process of registering as volunteer troops.

At this moment, in one section of the border, there was a main area functioning as a central command post to coordinate the movements of the various groups. Large camps had been set up for the troops, and two imperial family flags fluttered side by side above them.

The symbols of the Doria Imperial Family and the Evergreen Imperial Family on the flags showed that these camps were joint camps between the two imperial families. A sight like this was rare, as only certain events could bring both families together in one place.

Now, another special event was approaching, and once again, they had to unite. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

They were responsible for managing the troops across this part of the border, which stretched all the way to the territory of the Rivas grand duchy. It was a wide area to cover, and the army they commanded was massive—they estimated that more than four million troops would be stationed in this section of the border.

Elves, humans, dwarves, and even spiritual beasts and spirits—who had formed their own independent groups—could be seen in the camp areas.

However, this large alliance, made up of factions from different races, also came with its own problems.

Although from a distance it seemed that the different groups and races had no issues with each other, most still kept their distance—except for a few. This was not surprising, as many harbored prejudice toward other races or factions, making it difficult for them to work together easily. Such deep-rooted feelings could not be erased in a short time.

This was something many were aware of, including Hector, the First Prince of the Doria Empire. He was taking a stroll through the camps and their surroundings, though in truth, he was also making sure that everything remained in order.

He made a point of ensuring that no one stirred up trouble. Since the gathering began, he had already dealt with several incidents and had to punish those who threatened the alliance—especially those from his own empire. He knew he had to be decisive. He would not allow any cracks to form within the alliance.

"Look at that elf. Don’t you think she’s really beautiful?"

Suddenly, Hector heard someone speak not far from him. He turned toward the direction of the voice and saw a group of about a dozen people. They were sitting together, seeming to enjoy themselves.

He looked over the group and noticed a young man he recognized. Hector watched him for a moment. The young man sat quietly, not interacting much with the others. Compared to the lively group around him, he looked like an introvert among extroverts.

"Yeah, damn. If I get her after this war, I’ll be the happiest man in the world. Imagine having an elf that beautiful as your wife—no regrets at all," another man in the group replied.

"You? With your face? You’d be better off marrying a log of wood."

"You fuck—!" The man stopped mid-sentence as his eyes landed on Hector. He immediately stood up and bowed.

"Your Highness," he said, causing the others to freeze. They turned to look at Hector, startled, then quickly stood and bowed as well.

Hector gave a small nod. "Easy. I know you were joking, but be careful not to let any elves hear you. This is a critical time. Don’t stir up trouble, and don’t do anything that might make other races uncomfortable. You’ll need each other when the war begins."

"Yes, Your Highness," the group replied in unison.

Hector glanced once more at the quiet young man before turning and walking away. That young man was Danius Lucard—the young master of the Lucard family.

Since his father was also involved in the coup plot, the Lucard family lost their status as a ducal house and was reduced to a baron family. What Emperor Durand did was essentially the same as what Emperor Raymond had done after the coup. These traitorous families were still tied to the nobility, but they had already lost most of their influence and status.

From the looks of it, Danius seemed to have changed. He appeared more timid since his family’s fall from grace. For him, it was a good change—he used to be the typical arrogant young master of a noble family, flaunting and abusing his status. After the setback, he seemed to have learned humility, which was good for him.

Hector continued walking and, not long after, entered a large tent. Inside were his father, Emperor Ladwin, and one of his sons—the First Prince of the Ivory Empire, Arvan Evergreen. Arvan, who had been away from the capital to guard the southern border between the Ivory Empire and the demon territory, had decided to join this war.

There was no way he would sit it out and abandon his family when the fate of the continent was at stake.

Arvan glanced at him, and Hector returned the glance with a nod before they both turned to look at the center of the tent. In the middle stood a large table with a detailed map of the border spread across it. The emperors were discussing their next move, pointing to different sectors on the map.

"We can attack from here," Emperor Durand said, pointing at the map. "We can breach their fortress with a pincer attack. Those bastards haven’t made any significant moves. From the information we just received, there is still no movement from the devils’ side. So, we can assume that in this area, there is nothing wrong with sending our troops for a pincer attack."

"This move is quite risky," Emperor Ladwin responded. "We can’t be certain if the devils have something prepared deeper within their territory. If they do, the pincer troops will have to fight on their own."

"That is true. That is why I think we need an overwhelming number of troops for the pincer attack. So when the devils strike, the pincer troops will have the strength to handle it. With all kinds of professions in the pincer troops, their chances of survival will increase," Emperor Durand replied.

They continued discussing the strategy when suddenly a soldier in armor entered the tent.

"My apologies for the interruption, Your Majesties, but you need to see this. Something strange has appeared on the horizon," he said.

Emperor Durand and Emperor Ladwin frowned. They stepped out of the tent and followed the soldier. Arvan and Hector also followed, and when they came outside, they walked toward the front line near the border—where the other side felt like another world.

That was the devil territory.

At this time, the sun was still high in the sky, and on their side, the land was full of green vitality. However, once they crossed to the other side, all greenery disappeared. There was only a land of death, covered by thick, negative energy that they could feel even from where they stood. The atmosphere and sky on that side were reddish, as if the sunlight could not pierce through the dense, dark energy.

This entire scene made everyone present feel an ominous chill just by looking at it.

Many of the guards standing watch looked toward the horizon, where something strange had appeared. They felt a strong sense of danger and an ominous presence. When Emperor Durand and Emperor Ladwin arrived, they finally saw what the soldier meant, and their frowns deepened.

In the reddish horizon, a dark light appeared. Although they could not tell how far it was, but a bad premonition settled heavily over them all.

Many murmurs resounded as everyone looked toward the horizon, wondering what the black light could be. Even their souls felt slightly shaken just from seeing that dark glow.

The two emperors, sensing that this was a bad sign, exchanged worried glances. Had the devils already begun the summoning process? Or were they preparing something else?

They felt anxious that the devils might have started the summoning while their own forces were still gathering to increase troop numbers.

This phenomenon was not only visible from their position but from other parts of the border as well. In fact, everyone standing right at the border at that moment could see it.

At the border between the Rivas Grand Duchy and the devil territory, Grand Duke Rivas, Irene, Xin Haotian, and Patriarch Xin were observing the scene. They were in the middle of a conversation inside their tent, having just met and trying to familiarize each other, when they were interrupted by a report of something strange appearing on the horizon in the direction of the devil territory.

The moment they saw the phenomenon, an ominous feeling filled them. They worried that the devils might have already begun the summoning process.

Was it already too late for them?

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